Former Ukraine midfielder Yevhen Levchenko shared his impressions of the match of the 3rd round of the 2024/25 Nations League Ukraine vs Georgia (1:0).
- Several experts have already said that if you look at the game, a draw could have been a logical result. What do you think?
- Yes, of course, the Georgians also had a few chances. Frankly speaking, in the second half there was a feeling that the Georgians could squeeze it out.
If you look objectively, it seems that we had more chances in the beginning, but in the second half it was the opposite. I won't say that we didn't win - it's just not a one-gate victory. There were a few episodes where they could have missed.
If we move on to the positives, it felt like there was balance in the team, more aggression, which is very important for this team. Both Mudryk and Kalyuzhny played competently. There is already some faith that all the bad previous matches will be behind us. All the guys realize that we need to work 100%. And only then we will be able to play soccer in peace.
This game showed that when, for example, Mudryk works back and forth - it's nice. You see that not only the guys are working in the center of the field, but the whole team.
- It seemed that the national team deliberately played much more straightforward. As a former soccer player, do you think that the main reason was the condition of the field or the plan for the game?
- Yes, the pitch was really not ideal for our soccer. But I think that not everything depends on it. It seems to me that a lot of things were planned beforehand. When the coaches decide that maybe we need to play a little easier - get the ball forward and play more vertical. Sometimes you have to play for results as well.
When we play soccer through the pass, I respect that, but I realize it's not always necessary.
A lot depends on the opponent. When there is an opportunity to go through the pass - you have to do it. To quote Cruyff, if you have the ball, then the opponent does not have it. However, several times the Georgians pressed with 6-7 players, so it's not a big deal that they pressed forward to the forwards and immediately pressed back. For me it is not a problem.
- Dovbik seemed somewhat cut off. And when balls reached the forward, either there were no proper openings for him, or Artem made wrong decisions. What was the main problem in his case?
- I think it was both. If you look at the decision-making, Artem wanted to show what he could do - that he was number one on this team. But when he tries too hard to show it, it doesn't always work out well. A few times he didn't make the best decisions. It happens.